◎ Urge marriage ◎
With the return of the eldest sister and her family, the Liang family became lively again. Liang Baoling took Mengmeng to play in the village.
After the two laborers Liang Baoying and Song Jianguo came back, Liang Baozhen and Liang Baojun went to the town again. This time, Liang Baojun went out carrying a 90-jin diamond spear that he had dug.
Hao Ming from the winery's purchasing office looked at the bulging bag with satisfaction and said, "Just carry it to our winery. There are too many people."
Everyone came here to exchange things. The bag in Liang Baojun's hand was indeed heavy. After a while, three or four people looked over here, wanting to know what it was.
"Okay, let's go straight over there."
These 90 kilograms of diamond thorns can produce 30 to 40 kilograms of liquor. Although it cannot solve all the problems, it can at least help to put out a small fire. Hao Ming took out a few of them from the bag, and they looked very fresh.
"No problem, this stuff is good." Hao Ming clapped his hands and brushed off the dirt and dust.
"We just dug them, they are fresh."
Hao Ming gave the Liang brothers and sisters a thermos, an aluminum basin, and a bag of brown sugar. These were all things from the factory warehouse, brand new, and were previously used as employee rewards.
The diamond thorns on the mountain were exchanged for a lot of things. Liang Baojun was in a good mood and was thinking about getting some more to exchange. Liang Baozhen was a little worried, "But don't do it. If we exchange so much now, we might be targeted. It would be bad if we are accused of speculation."
There is nothing wrong with exchanging small items at home, but if it happens too often and there are too many items, it is indeed unsafe.
"Let's see later." Liang Baojun couldn't help thinking about it. There might not be so many diamond thorns on the mountain.
Carrying the backpack on their backs, the two of them were just in time for lunch. There were eight people sitting at the Liang family's square table. They were having a lively meal. Liang Baozhen took a bite of the sweet potato and looked at her brother-in-law sitting opposite her absent-mindedly.
The older sister next to him put some shredded cabbage into his bowl with chopsticks, but he didn't react.
"What are you doing standing there? Eat your meal quickly." Liang Baoying nudged the man's arm with her elbow, and Song Jianguo came back to his senses.
"Yeah, eat."
Liang Zhigao glanced at his son-in-law. He noticed something was wrong when he went to work today. Song Jianguo was obviously not focused on his work. He didn't know what he was thinking about. Recently, there has been some unrest in the educated youth camps everywhere. They are all clamoring to return to the city. Some even make themselves sick in the hope of finding an opportunity.
After dinner, he called his son-in-law alone and the two talked in the main room.
"Jianguo, what's wrong with you these days? Did your parents say something to you when you went back to their house a while ago?" Liang Zhigao took a puff of dry cigarette after a meal. It has been his habit for decades.
Song Jianguo remained silent, thinking back to when he first went to the countryside eight years ago and was devastated by the harsh conditions there. Back then it was much more difficult than it is now, and no one in the educated youth institute did not look forward to returning home. Gradually, some people could not stand it anymore and married local people, and their lives became a little better.
He still held on, but as he watched batch after batch of educated youth go to the countryside, he always felt that there was no hope and that they could not go back and would have to stay in the countryside for the rest of their lives.
Liang Baoying had always liked him, and he knew it. When they worked together, the shy look in her eyes could not lie. He pursued Liang Baoying, and they got married soon, and Mengmeng was born the following year.
He had already prepared himself mentally to stay here for the rest of his life, but the news that the educated youth might be able to return to the city caught Song Jianguo off guard.
Work, just one job, and he could go back to the city he had been dreaming about day and night, and then he could work in a factory as a decent worker, instead of having to work in the fields for a living.
However, the news he heard this morning made him feel very embarrassed. All the educated youth had connections in Beijing, and those who had married local people could not return to the city.
"Dad, it's nothing. I just haven't seen my parents for so many years, and I feel a little uncomfortable." Song Jianguo didn't say it to the Liang family.
Liang Zhigao naturally understood that it was not easy for a man to go to the countryside alone and stay there for eight years. He finally got to see his family. He took a puff of his cigarette, patted his son-in-law on the shoulder and walked out of the hall. "I'll apply to go back when the conditions are better in the future."
In the courtyard, the daughter Baoying was sweeping the floor. Liang Zhigao said to her, "There are some herbs in the house. Make some for Jianguo to eat. It will help him stay alert."
"I know, Dad. Jianguo has not had a good appetite recently. I am just going to go to the mountain to dig some stone coriander later."
Song Jianguo listened to the faint sounds coming from the yard, stroked his forehead with his hand, and his eyes were dark and unclear.
.......
After a busy day and dinner, Liang Baozhen finally had time to take the wire hairpins and silk flowers she had bought and go out, "Mom, I'm going to Xiujuan's house."
"good."
Li Xiujuan and Liang Baozhen are the same age. Their families lived close to each other and they went to the same primary school, so they were naturally close. A month ago, Li Xiujuan also got married, and the man she married was from the same village.
The villagers even joked that Li Xiujuan's parents' home and her husband's home were just across a field, and could be reached in a few steps.
"Auntie Fulai, is Xiujuan at home now? I'm just about to go see her." Liang Baozhen was halfway there when she saw Li Xiujuan's mother, Auntie Fulai, talking to someone on the side of the road.
"Yes, her sister-in-law has made some clothes for her. You can go and have a look."
Li Xiujuan's family later built a house on a hillside in the village and built a yard. The area was quite spacious. As soon as we entered the Li family's yard, Li's wife shouted into the house, "Xiujuan, Baozhen is here to see you."
The two hadn't seen each other for a while, and Li Xiujuan was especially happy to see her good friend as she was busy preparing for her wedding.
On the bed in the room lay a set of red clothes and trousers, made of ordinary coarse cloth, which the Li family had spent a month searching for.
"Your sister-in-law is really skillful. This dress is beautifully tailored." Liang Baozhen saw that the dress had fine stitching and was well-fitting, so she praised her.
"Let me put it on and show you." Li Xiujuan changed her clothes quickly and turned around a few times in front of her friend. As she listened to her friend's praises, the smile on her face became even brighter.
"Change it quickly, don't let it get dirty, and wear it on your wedding day." Liang Baozhen looked at her outfit, which was indeed beautiful, and then she took out the gift she had prepared. "I saw this when I went to the city today, it suits you."
A red silk flower was pinned on her head with a wire hairpin, and paired with a red dress, she looked particularly festive, and her fair skin and beautiful appearance were accentuated.
"Thank you, Baozhen! I like this so much!" There are many people in the Li family, and the food is not enough. The living conditions are also poor, so Li Xiujuan rarely has these beautiful little things.
The two of them sat on the bed and talked. Li Xiujuan was about to get married, and her heart was beating like a deer. She talked nonstop, and all she talked about was Brother Erniu.
"You haven't even gotten married yet, and you're calling me so affectionately?"
Li Xiujuan's boyfriend Erniu, also known as Niu Hezhi, is from the same village. The two knew each other before and were later married with the help of a matchmaker.
"I used to call her that." Li Xiujuan smiled shyly and took Liang Baozhen's arm. "Then how do you call your partner?"
Liang Baozhen was stunned for a moment before she reacted, "Just call me Comrade Chen."
"You two are getting married, why are you still so polite?"
"We've only met twice, and probably only exchanged two or three sentences. How can I be rude?" Liang Baozhen thought about it. Her impression of her soon-to-be-married man, Chen Siming, was just that he was polite and looked very decent, nothing more.
"I understand. Director, I met your boyfriend last time. He looks really different. He is more impressive than our commune cadres. His back is so straight when he walks." Thinking of what the villagers were talking about, Li Xiujuan asked hurriedly, "Will you be able to work in their state-owned cotton mill in the future? That's great. Last time your uncle didn't allow you to be a junior high school teacher. Now it's great. It's even better to work in the city."
Liang Baozhen graduated from high school last year. After an inspection, the commune was originally going to give her a junior high school teacher position. However, her cousin, who was a cadre in the commune, stepped out to stop it, and the position was given to a high school student from the neighboring village instead.
After a while, someone secretly told the Liang family that they saw the high school student going to Liang Zhiqing's house to deliver things, and everyone suddenly realized that it was no wonder that his brothers' families didn't help him.
Because of this, Song Chunhua no longer wanted to care about her eldest brother's family.
"It's not that easy. Let's talk about it later." Liang Baozhen looked at her friend who was getting ready to get married with great excitement, but she herself felt a little nervous. It is said that when you marry a man, you will get clothes and food, but she didn't know what her life would be like in the future.
They chatted so much that they lost track of time. When Liang Baozhen came out of Li's house, the moon was bright and the stars were sparse. The village was quiet and many people had already fallen asleep. The only sounds were the chirping of insects and birds.
It was already dark, and not wanting to trouble Li Jiasong to make a special trip, Liang Baozhen walked on the road, looked up at the moon, and walked home on the gravel road under her feet.
Not long after walking, I saw a shadow in front of me. It was tall and big, with his hands in his pockets, his right foot was crossed in front, and he had a dogtail grass in his mouth, looking very impressive.
But as soon as he opened his mouth, he sounded a little careless, "Liang Baozhen, why are you walking so slowly? Why don't you go back to sleep?"
Liang Baozhen took a few steps forward and imitated Song Chunhua's way of educating her second brother, with a smile in her words, "Look at what you look like. If mom sees you, she will definitely say you are a scoundrel!"
"Hey, your brother came out to pick you up in the middle of the night, and you're so disrespectful!" Liang Baojun pulled Liang Baozhen's braid and talked about his sister, "You're all going to get married, so don't talk about your brother-in-law like that... Be careful not to make him have a headache."
......
Beijing, Crescent Moon Alley, Xu Family
Just after finishing dinner, Xu Shengjie listened to his grandmother's mumbling and felt a headache. Ever since the marriage was called off some time ago, Grandma Xu was angry and had another idea, so she forced her grandson to go and find another girl.
"Sheng Jie, your father and mother passed away early, and grandma is old now. How many years can she take care of you? This is my only wish, to see you get married and have children as soon as possible." Grandma Xu is 65 years old this year. Although wrinkles have appeared on her face, she looks very kind and gentle when she smiles. She urged her grandson to find a partner at this moment, and she didn't express her anger.
Xu Shengjie has lived for twenty-four years, and indeed has no idea about matters between men and women, or love affairs. What Grandma Zhou Yun criticizes him for the most is his bad temper and his inability to speak softly to women. He really has not inherited any of his father's abilities.
"How did your father court your mother? He picked flowers from the roadside and sent them to her every day. He would go to his father-in-law's house to fetch water and chop firewood whenever he had nothing to do. He was also very sweet-mouthed. You really haven't learned anything from him."
"Grandma, take a break and drink some water." Xu Shengjie poured a bowl of water for the old lady and placed it in front of her. His brows were hard, but there was a rare hint of tenderness. "I will never be able to learn my father's skills in my lifetime, so don't worry about it."
The author has something to say:
@许盛傑, wait and see your flag being slapped in the face
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